Kobin War of Independence
'The Kobin War of 'Independence', was fought between early Kobin settlers and Norse Vikings that claimed Kobidar, or Oddrsland as it was known then as part of their widespread kingdom. It was started in 1017 when Kobin protestors sunk a Viking cargo ship that was sent to strip Kobidar of it's newly gained resources. It ended in early 1018 when the Treaty of Vaastväk was signed and Kobidar was claimed independent. Background ]] Oddrsland, which had been settled only 15 or so years earlier, was from it's inception part of the Norse Viking Kingdom. Norsemen would send ships to Oddrsland to pick up valuable resources and return them to either Iceland of Greenland, with almost nothing in recompense for the Oddrsland citizens who had worked for the materials. Unrest grew in Oddrsland with every ship that entered the harbor, and in 1016, a band of Vikings apparently sacked an Oddrsland hamlet, leading to outrage for the citizens of Oddrsland, and of it's ruler, Oddr Thiostarson. Thiostarson confronted Norse leadership, explaining his citizens agitations. This did substantially reduce violence with the Viking taxers, but did not stop them from continuing to reap Oddrsland's harvests. Tempers in Oddrsland were beginning to boil, and public unrest was spreading throughout the new nation. Sinking of the Vindur Ùlufur The war was started officially when Kobin rebels sunk a Viking cargo ship that was sent to take the crops recently gathered by the Oddrslanders. An excerpt from The Saga of Oddr tells of the events that took place that fateful day: "The seas were high as a longboat approached the Harbor of Vaastväk. The wind howled through the trees, bare and anticipating winter's arrival. Two men emerged fro the bowels of the ship, clad in mail and carry axes that scraped the ground. The two men asked the farmers gathered on the port to bestow on them their crops, when suddenly, ten or so men rushed out of the dock house and one set fire to the lonbooat with a torch. The two foreign men attempted to pursue the belligerents, but to no avail. The foreigners were forced to return in a small rowboat, and thus started the Great War for Oddrsland." Oddr Thiostarson was not pleased with the sinking of the ship. He was content to stay allies with the Norse in exchange for the small amount of crops that his men were giving up. Battle of Balà Pass The first real battle of the war took place at around 1017, when 700 Vikings met 250 Oddrsland Militiamen on a thin strip of land that closed off most of Vaastväk Harbor. The militia fought bravely, but were in the end defeated. This battle turned Thiostarson in favor of the war, and he agreed to be commander of the Militia. Battle of Skjörn Bay The second battle of the war was fought in a small inlet in the vicinity of Vaastväk. Four Viking ships attacked the beach from the sea, but were repelled by somewhere close to 230 Militiamen. Battle of Vaastväk The third and final battle of the war took place in the capital, when the Militia stormed Viking living quarters and drove the men out of the city. This was a decisive move in the war, and led to the signing of the Independence Treaty of Oddrsland in 1020. Category:Kobidar Category:Wars in Kobidar Category:Military Conflicts in Kobidar Category:Wars